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by laira348



Series: Too soon [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 01:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5073346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laira348/pseuds/laira348
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumplestiltskin fulfills his end of the deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> So it's been a month again. Sorry, life was busy. I should be able to update more often now, but I'm not promising anything. I'd also like to thank you for taking the time to read this fic, because I seriously haven't expected such a pleasant reaction. So thank you.

Regina wasn’t happy when her phone woke her up in the middle of the night. It was never a good sign when someone deviated from their routine. It was even worse when she saw who it was.

“I hope you realize what hour it is,” she growled, getting up from her bed.

“I-I’m so sorry, Madam Mayor,” the normally calm nurse stammered. “But Mr. Gold came.”

That shook the residual sleep off of Regina.

“What?” she snapped. “How did he know?”

“I don’t k-know! There was another man with him. He called him Jefferson, I think.”

Jefferson, of course. She should’ve realized he would be trouble if she let him remember. And now Rumplestiltskin remembered too. Or maybe he knew the whole time, but now he knew about Belle. About what she did to her.

“And you didn’t let them in, I hope.”

“I…”

“You let them in?!” Regina yelled and started to pace around her bedroom angrily. This wasn’t happening.

“No! I wouldn’t! But the other man, he knocked me unconscious. And when I woke up, she-she was gone.”

She hanged up before the nurse could stammer out more excuses. The fact that she lost her pawn was the last thing on her mind as she imagined the wrath Rumplestiltskin will bring her way. She made him think his precious little Belle was dead. She had no illusions about him being merciful.

What is she going to do now?

*

Belle stared at the house they stopped in front of.

“That is your home?” she asked in shock. “It’s huge!”

Mr. Gold chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you won’t get lost.”

She smiled at that. It was all so new – she never knew anything beyond the asylum. But Mr. Gold seemed so familiar. She knew she could trust him.

He opened the door of the strange metal box they arrived in – a car, he called it – for her and helped her out. She held onto his hand as they walked into the pink house, clinging to the only thing she knew in a new, unfamiliar place.

The first thing she noticed was how warm Mr. Gold’s home was.

She didn’t feel cold for the first time in her life – or what she remembered of it, she supposed – but that wasn’t what she meant. It looked so welcoming. It couldn’t be more different from her room in the asylum. Instead of a cold, dark basement, a soft light was illuminating a foyer full of antiques.

But it didn’t feel alien. Just like Mr. Gold, it all seemed strangely familiar. Like she seen it all before in a dream.

“Belle? Are you alright?” he asked tentatively.

“I’m great,” she whispered, squeezing his hand for emphasis.

He nodded and guided her further into his castle. It wasn’t a lie, she did feel great, really. She just wished she could remember all the things she was obviously forgetting. It seemed so greedy of her to want to have everything when she was already so lucky.

But she couldn’t help but long to know herself beyond the girl locked in basement for so long she couldn’t remember who she was before. She wanted to know how she met Mr. Gold and why she was locked up for so long and why she couldn’t remember any of it.

*

The scotch he was saving for a special occasion wasn’t hard to find. Rumplestiltskin poured himself a glass, sitting down in his study. Belle was asleep in his room, since he never needed a guest room. This was the first time someone other than him or Dove entered the house. He still couldn’t believe she was there.

He wanted to get up, take his gun out of the drawer and go to Regina’s house. He didn’t need her anymore, after all. He could make her pay for all the pain she put him and Belle through. And yet he just sat there, nursing a glass of scotch, listening to the quiet he was so used to for any sound of disturbance.

He couldn’t leave Belle alone now. He never saw her so vulnerable. She was put through hell, for no other reason than her potential to be used against him. He spent the last decades comfortable while she was locked up.

He put his head in his hands, not bothering to resist the urge to sob anymore. Belle was home. With him. He was so happy, happier that he felt ever since he cast her out. She would leave again once she remembered, of course, but for now they were together.

He dried his tears, feeling a bit silly. He shouldn’t be crying now. He should be focusing on finding Emma and helping Belle adjust. He didn’t have time for breaking down.

With a sigh, he drowned the rest of his glass and put the bottle away. He was human now, he needed to sleep. He would figure it all out in the morning.

He didn’t expect to bump into Belle in the hall. She yelped and jumped away from him.

“Belle? Are you hurt?”

“Mr. Gold,” she whispered, letting out a relieved sigh. “I’m alright now.”

It didn’t do much to reassure him. “Are you sure? What happened?”

“I woke up and I didn’t know where I was. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s no matter,” he assured her. “Is there anything I could do to help?”

Even in the dark, he could see she was biting her lip. “Could you, um, stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course,” he nodded before he could think it through. He’d do anything to help her, anyway.

“Thank you,” she smiled at him and took his hand in hers. “For everything.”

He returned her smiled. “It’s no problem, sweetheart.”

*

In the next few days he and Belle fell into a nice rhythm. She was not accustomed to living in this world, but braved it with curiosity and wariness at the same time. They stayed at the house, neither of them ready to face the town yet, but spent most of the time outside. Out of everything new, it still fascinated Belle the most.

To Rumple’s relief she didn’t feel claustrophobic when they were inside, though she preferred not to be alone. Her stay at the asylum didn’t leave her without scars, but she preferred not to talk about it, so he couldn’t know exactly how bad it was.

As much as he wanted to never leave Belle’s side, he had to keep his end of the bargain. Adoption was a process much more complicated than Rumple anticipated, especially since Jefferson couldn’t leave Storybrooke. However, he learned a long time ago that money was sometimes just as powerful tool as magic.

Before the end of the week Emma Swan was adopted by Jeff Hatter. The process wasn’t even remotely legal, but he and Jefferson weren’t bothered by that. It wouldn’t be the first time they broke the law anyway.

*

That day a girl in Boston was called to talk to the social worker. She wasn’t sure why – she didn’t get herself into trouble recently. She knew she had to be good if she wanted to have a family. Not that she had much of a chance – she was the oldest girl in their group home.

“Emma?”

She was smiling, so Emma couldn’t possibly be in trouble. But that was the only reason she was ever called there. Why else would she want to talk to her?

“I’ve got good news for you.”


End file.
